The Olympic Games, an international event occurring every 2 years, is very much involved with world relations. It allows athletes from around the globe to have the opportunity to compete at the highest level of competitive sporting, and for countries to promote themselves and their athletics on an international stage.
Almost 3000 years ago the ancient Olympics were held in Athens, Greece every 4 years. This trend continued for 1200 years. During the games, the most popular sports included wrestling, running, horseback riding and javelin. Only men could participate or watch these games. The games were only to be appreciated or noted by those who lived in Greece, and to insure fair play athletes had to take an oath instead of genetic tests. Since the revival of the Olympic Games began in 1896 with the help of Baron Pierre de Coubertin things have changed considerably. The Olympic Games has transformed into a worldwide event with numerous different athletic events and contest each of which is played for by athletes around the globe whom are representing their nation. Since 1896, the modern Olympics have grown to arguably the most popular sporting event in the history of the world. They games now include sports like basketbal baseball, voleyball, and swimming and skiing.
The Olympic have risen as one of the greatest athletic competitions in the world, they have been a primary factory in uniting fans for their country and bringing a sense of unity and competitive spirit to fans across the world, according to the international Olympic committee“the Olympics have always brought people together in peace to respect universal moral principles”Some notable famous contest range from Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight Olympic championship, the U.S. miracle win over the soviets in mens ice hockey, all the way to swimming sensations Michael Phelps 8 gold medals (an Olympic record)
While some people feel the Olympic Games is just a waste of spending for the host country simply to show their athletes compete against the world’s best, there are definitely many positive benefits to the Olympic Games. It is a guarantee to help the host countries tourism, and an opportunity to showcase athletes that wouldn’t have the opportunity to make a name for themselves otherwise. However, despite the fact that many see this as a competition soley relevant to atheletics, the Olympics have been a substanical difference maker as far as a political impact. In 1936, when pre WW2 tensions were building, rising leader Adolf Hitler wanted to use the games as a chance to show the world his views of Aryan supremcy, only to watch African American Jessie Owens win 4 gold medals. After losing WW2, Germany was not invited to the games. In 1972 a Palestinian gunman had a major impact on the games, kidnapping and killing 11 jewish Israeli athletes. In 1980 when the Cold War was becoming more intense between the two sides, the U.S.and Russia, it was the U.S. who decided to boycott Olympics in Moscow, Russia, only to wait 4 years later and watch Russia return the favor by boycotting the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. And more recently in 2008, China in an attempt to prove their country as one of the modern superpowers, got the nod to host the Olympics in Beijing, and responded by displacing 1.5 million citizens to build their Olympic arenas.
The 2010 Olympic games had an incredible 82 nations compete in 86 different athletic contest, all of which included Iran, Pakistan, and most notably North Korea, who allowed its citizens to freely leave its country (momentarily) for one of the few times in its history. The fact that world rivals are coming together for the Olympic games, and that the games moved from 1 country participating in 1 sport, to 100 nations participating in almost 100 sports shows the incredible progress being made in the event.
While politics is still clearly playing a roll in Olympic games, and athletes have had their records eliminated because of the use of preformance enhancing drugs, the game's worldwide success, and fast growing development has left people optimistic towards the game's future.
The Olympic Games, an international event occurring every 2 years, is very much involved with world relations. It allows athletes from around the globe to have the opportunity to compete at the highest level of competitive sporting, and for countries to promote themselves and their athletics on an international stage.
Almost 3000 years ago the ancient Olympics were held in Athens, Greece every 4 years. This trend continued for 1200 years. During the games, the most popular sports included wrestling, running, horseback riding and javelin. Only men could participate or watch these games. The games were only to be appreciated or noted by those who lived in Greece, and to insure fair play athletes had to take an oath instead of genetic tests. Since the revival of the Olympic Games began in 1896 with the help of Baron Pierre de Coubertin things have changed considerably. The Olympic Games has transformed into a worldwide event with numerous different athletic events and contest each of which is played for by athletes around the globe whom are representing their nation. Since 1896, the modern Olympics have grown to arguably the most popular sporting event in the history of the world. They games now include sports like basketbal baseball, voleyball, and swimming and skiing.
The Olympic have risen as one of the greatest athletic competitions in the world, they have been a primary factory in uniting fans for their country and bringing a sense of unity and competitive spirit to fans across the world, according to the international Olympic committee“the Olympics have always brought people together in peace to respect universal moral principles”Some notable famous contest range from Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight Olympic championship, the U.S. miracle win over the soviets in mens ice hockey, all the way to swimming sensations Michael Phelps 8 gold medals (an Olympic record)
While some people feel the Olympic Games is just a waste of spending for the host country simply to show their athletes compete against the world’s best, there are definitely many positive benefits to the Olympic Games. It is a guarantee to help the host countries tourism, and an opportunity to showcase athletes that wouldn’t have the opportunity to make a name for themselves otherwise. However, despite the fact that many see this as a competition soley relevant to atheletics, the Olympics have been a substanical difference maker as far as a political impact. In 1936, when pre WW2 tensions were building, rising leader Adolf Hitler wanted to use the games as a chance to show the world his views of Aryan supremcy, only to watch African American Jessie Owens win 4 gold medals. After losing WW2, Germany was not invited to the games. In 1972 a Palestinian gunman had a major impact on the games, kidnapping and killing 11 jewish Israeli athletes. In 1980 when the Cold War was becoming more intense between the two sides, the U.S.and Russia, it was the U.S. who decided to boycott Olympics in Moscow, Russia, only to wait 4 years later and watch Russia return the favor by boycotting the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. And more recently in 2008, China in an attempt to prove their country as one of the modern superpowers, got the nod to host the Olympics in Beijing, and responded by displacing 1.5 million citizens to build their Olympic arenas.
The 2010 Olympic games had an incredible 82 nations compete in 86 different athletic contest, all of which included Iran, Pakistan, and most notably North Korea, who allowed its citizens to freely leave its country (momentarily) for one of the few times in its history. The fact that world rivals are coming together for the Olympic games, and that the games moved from 1 country participating in 1 sport, to 100 nations participating in almost 100 sports shows the incredible progress being made in the event.
While politics is still clearly playing a roll in Olympic games, and athletes have had their records eliminated because of the use of preformance enhancing drugs, the game's worldwide success, and fast growing development has left people optimistic towards the game's future.
Work Citied
Olympics, ancient greek vs. Present Day." Accessed December 10, 2011. http://period8dolzall.tripod.com/olympics.html.
Gill, Kathy. About.com, "Polotics and the olympics." Last modified 01/03/2009. Accessed December 15, 2011. http://uspolitics.about.com/od/politicaljunkies/a/olympics.htm.
the olympic museum, "The modern olympic games." Last modified 2007. Accessed December 9, 2011. http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_668.pdf.
Sporting 99, "modoern olympics." Accessed December 7, 2011. http://olympics.sporting99.com/modern-olympics.html
Zappas.org, "Timeline of the Modern Olympic Games." Accessed December 15, 2011. http://www.zappas.org/timeline.html.